New Experiences
by Master-Magician
Summary: There are so many things Ryn does not understand about the human world. Luckily, Ben and Maddie are happy and eager to teach her.
1. Snow Day

**Finally, I'm getting around to starting this collection. This will be multi-chapter consisting of many one-shots of Ben and Maddie showing Ryn new things about the surface world. I haven't decided if they will be interconnected or not.**

 **Polymarine is already established but I suppose you can look at it kinda like a sequel to "Home" if you'd like. Or it can be its own thing, it works either way. These might not be in chronological order either, some might be in the far future while others might be in the past.**

 **This chapter came from the realization that since mermaids live on the bottom of the ocean, they have no clue what snow is.**

 **Enjoy.**

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"No get up." Ben stopped in place when he heard the voice behind him.

Risking a look behind, Ben discovered he was mistaken, and that Ryn was still out cold. The mermaid was just mumbling in her sleep.

Ben let out a silent sigh of relief as he stood up from the bed. There was a time it was impossible to rise without waking Ryn up instantly. She began as a notoriously light sleeper, the tiniest movement and she'd be up and awake.

Nowadays, Ryn slept like the dead. Ben chalked it up to her being so comfortable with sharing the bed with Ben and Maddie that she allowed herself to truly relax. Nothing was going to attack her with them present.

Speaking of Maddie, Ben tiptoed a few steps away before looking back again. Both Ryn and Maddie remained asleep, but with Ben's weight gone, Ryn had shifted positions. She'd unconsciously scooted closer to Maddie, Ryn's leg draped over hers. While Ryn curled into Maddie's chest, she held Ryn closer in her arms.

The mermaid was a cuddler. Who would have imagined?

The scene was almost enough to make Ben climb back into bed to rejoin them, almost. Somebody had to be the first to get up, though. One of them had to make the sacrifice, and Ben was already up.

As quiet as he could manage, Ben gathered up his clothes and slipped out the door to change in the next room. No point in waking the sleeping beauties quiet yet. If Ben was lucky, he might even be able to start breakfast for them.

Ben had just finished dressing when he stopped mid-step. Taking two steps backward, he looked out the window, his eyebrows shooting to the ceiling.

"Wow." Ben leaned closer to the window for a proper look. "How much did it snow last night?"

The weather did say they'd have a few inches. Nothing at all like what Ben was seeing now. There must have been almost two feet out there!

"Morning." Ben heard Maddie's yawn from behind him.

"So much for breakfast." Ben shook his head. "Morning, Maddie. Where's Ryn?"

"Getting dressed." Maddie moved over to join Ben at the window. "Damn, how much is out there?"

"Don't know." Ben shrugged. "I'm gonna go check it out, maybe shovel off the front."

"Okay." Maddie kissed Ben on the cheek. "I'm make some coffee."

By the time Ben retrieved his coat and reached the front door, he found Ryn standing there staring out the window. When he got closer, he noticed she wasn't just looking out the window, she was full on glaring. Not good, Ryn only looked like that when she saw something dangerous, or something she perceived as dangerous.

"Ryn?" Ben stepped up next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Everything okay?"

Ryn said nothing, but when Ben reached for the door knob, she slammed a hand against the wood to keep it shut. "Not safe."

That got Ben's attention. "What do you see?"

"There." Ryn pointed out the door's glass, but whatever it was, Ben couldn't see it. "Everywhere."

"The snow?"

"Snow?" The words passed from Ryn's lips slowly, like every other time she learned a new word. "Snow."

"Yeah, all the white stuff out there." Ben felt the urge to slap his forehead. Of course, Ryn would think that about snow, she'd never seen the stuff before!

"Snow not danger?" Ryn tilted her head up to look at Ben.

"It can be. But only if you're unprepared." Ben admitted. An idea came to mind just then. Going over to the coat rack, Ben grabbed Ryn's heavier coat. "Here, I'll show you."

Ryn allowed Ben to help her put the coat on and this time, she didn't try to stop him from opening the door. After going through, Ben saw that he was mistaken in his estimate. The snow wasn't quite two feet, more like one and a half. Still, he hadn't been too far off.

"See?" Ben turned so that he was facing Ryn and stepped off the porch into the deep snow. Ben didn't miss the way Ryn almost rushed after him when he made that first step. It was, after all, her natural instinct to protect her mates from harm. While she allowed him to proceed, Ryn herself remained cautious, staying close to the door.

Taking off his gloves, Ben held his hands up for Ryn to clearly see his bare hands. He then reached down into the snow and pulled up a big handful of the powdery substance. Tossing it aside, he did it again.

"Completely safe." Ben walked back up to Ryn and offered her his hands. The mermaid hesitated but took them in her own.

Ben was careful to move slowly as he backed up, pulling Ryn with him. The mermaid gripped his hands tightly when her foot first vanished underneath her. Ben simply returned the squeeze and led her further and further out.

Once they were out far enough, Ben released her hands ever so slowly. This time, Ben reached down and swiped his hands across the snow covering the ground and pulled up another large handful.

"Hold out your hands, Ryn." Ben held the snow out. "It's cold, but safe."

Ryn was wary but did as requested.

As slowly as Ben could possibly manage, he dumped the snow into Ryn's own bare hands. She made a noise and flinched but didn't jerk away, after seeing that it wasn't hurting her, she brought it up to her nose and sniffed it.

"It's just frozen water." Ben slid his gloves back on. "Nothing to be afraid of. In fact, some people…"

Ben never got to finish his explanation before a snowball from seemingly nowhere pelted him right in the face.

Spitting out snow and wiping his face, Ben searched about for his attacker. Ryn stood in front of him, still holding her handful, face twisted in confusion. Over her head was Maddie standing on the porch in the process of picking of a steaming mug from at her feet.

The grin Maddie sported told Ben all he needed to know.

"Really, Maddie?" Ben rolled his eyes. "Was that necessary?"

"Absolutely." Maddie admitted with zero shame whatsoever while picking up where Ben left off. "You can do all kinds of things with snow, Ryn."

"What?" Ryn dusted her hands off, looking down at the snow at her feet.

"I'll show you." Maddie's smile, if possible, got bigger. "Oh, and Ben, there's some hot chocolate inside. Jerry called a minute ago. Roads are totally iced over, he was the only one who managed to get in today."

"So, snow day?" Ben was heading back inside when he stopped beside Maddie.

"Snow day." Maddie agreed, turning to watch Ryn. "Nice timing, too."

While the humans discussed the day's plans, Ryn was occupying herself with the snow. Her fingertips skimming the surface of the powder, fingers occasionally dipping in to pull a handful up. She didn't seem to feel the chill in her uncovered hands.

"Go easy on her." Ben gently elbowed Maddie in the ribs.

"Ryn's never gotten to enjoy snow as a kid before." Maddie slapped her palm with the bottom of her fist. "We must give her the full snow day experience."

With a roll of the eyes, Ben returned into the warmth of the house. He located his own mug of hot chocolate on the counter easily enough. Along with a second, one he assumed was for Ryn. Heading back outside, he made sure to grab a pair of gloved for the mermaid. Just because she acted like she was immune to the cold, even if she probably was, Ben would rather not take the chance of his girlfriend getting frostbite.

Coming back outside onto the porch, Ben found a peculiar sight.

Maddie and Ryn both lay on the ground moving about in the snow a few feet away from each other. It actually took Ben a minute to realize what they were doing.

"Okay, now hop up." Maddie rose to her feet, careful not to disturb her creation.

Ryn rose a little clumsier than Maddie but managing not to cause much damage to hers.

"Unbelievable." Maddie shook her head in utter disbelief, turning to Ryn. "You sure you've never done this before?"

"No." Ryn answered simply.

By now, Ben had moved back over to join them. He had to admit, he was impressed. In the foot and a half of snow were two snow angels, one pristine and the second a very close rival. If Ben didn't know better, he'd say Ryn had been doing it for years.

Ben handed the gloves off to Ryn, who wrinkled her nose in annoyance but donned the pair anyway for his sake. Now that he didn't have to worry about Ryn getting frostbite, Ben handed the warm mug to her next.

Ben never even got the chance to open his mouth for a warning before Ryn was taking a drink. She let out a sharp hiss, the scalding liquid burning her tongue.

"Might want to let that cool, just a little." Maddie winced at the sight, having been unable to voice an alarm either.

Ryn didn't say anything, but she was glaring daggers at the offending item in her hand. At least she wasn't hurl it across the road. Ben decided to call that one a partial win.

"Anyway." Maddie cleared her throat, attempting to diffuse some of the tension before Ryn really did throw the thing. "This is one of my favorite parts. Mind holding these, Ben."

"Sure." Ben took the two mugs back over to the porch. Clearing off some of the snow to have a somewhat clear spot, he set them down along with his own. Upon turning his back, he immediately knew where Maddie was going with this lesson.

"You just roll it like this, and voila!" Maddie held up the perfectly made snowball in her hand for Ryn to see. "Now you try."

Now that Maddie was finished, Ryn scooped up a fresh handful of snow and started forming one for herself. The attempt to end in abysmal failure pretty quickly. Letting out a muffled growl, she swiped up more to try again.

Three tries later, Ryn managed to make one but it wasn't exactly the best.

"Nobody gets it perfect right off the bat." Maddie reassured the mermaid with a pat on the back. "Now, for what we use snowballs for.

"Now hang on a minute here…" Ben knew what he was in for when the gaze of mermaid and human zeroed in on him.

When Maddie's smile twisted into a wicked smirk, Ben knew he was doomed. She was a terror when armed with snowballs, and now she had backup in Ryn. He would have to suck it up and take it like a man.

Just when Ben thought he would be hit with a double whammy, Ryn turned and threw hers to strike Maddie directly in the chest. It wasn't much of a snowball, but the sheer shock value of Ryn turning on her caused Maddie to drop hers.

"You hit Ben." Ryn backed a few steps from Maddie. "Fair."

Ben wanted to cheer but stopped short when he noticed Maddie's expression wasn't changing. That could mean only one thing. War was about to be declared.

"Watch out!" Ben called out to Ryn, but Maddie was already moving.

Unwilling to go down without a struggle, Ben grabbed at some snow for himself. He only managed to form his first when Maddie was throwing a speedball at him. He ducked under it, but Maddie was readying another.

War had indeed been declared.

Maddie was the best in a snowball fight, but Ben was close enough to put up a fight. It didn't help that they were completely out in the open. Without any cover, Ben was forced to dodge or take Maddie's assault. At least it meant no protection for her either.

Ryn was still having trouble making the snowballs, but the mermaid could move. Whenever one of them tried to hit her, she'd just dodge faster than anyone could react. She'd managed more than a few good hits on both humans even with subpar ammunition.

Before long, Ben and Maddie were covered head to toe in the white powder, not that either really noticed. Ryn, however, didn't have a speck on her. For all their attempts, the mermaid was unhittable.

As they battled, Ben moved closer and closer to Maddie. Once he was close enough, and she sufficiently distracted, Ben moved to tackle her. Unfortunately, she'd had just enough time to prepare, allowing Maddie to stop most of his attempt dead in its tracks. Until Ryn dove at them both, taking all three down at once.

The trio fell in a tangle of limbs, laughter, and playful hisses. Ben really wasn't sure how, but he somehow managed to wind up flat on his back with Maddie on top of him, and Ryn partially on top of both.

"Truce?" Ben huffed, out of breath.

"Deal." An exhausted Maddie flopped her head onto Ben's chest.

"Truce." Ryn rested her own head resting on Maddie's back. Though not from exhaustion, the mermaid's stamina was far from spent. She just liked being close.

As much as Ben liked being intimately close with his girlfriends, their combined weight was starting to make breathing a little difficult. Before we could even get a word out, Maddie shot up with a dramatic gasp. "We should build a snowman!"

At this point, Ben had to wonder if Maddie was having a little too much fun in giving Ryn the 'full snow day experience'. "A snowman?"

Then again, Maddie's excitement was contagious. Not to mention, Ryn was every bit as eager to learn new things. She just didn't voice it anywhere near as much, her body language did the talking instead.

"Well, we can't really go sledding without a sled, so that will have to wait another time." Maddie pouted, her voice adopting a singsong tone. "Besides, don't you wanna build a snowman with us?"

"Seriously? A Frozen reference?" For the second time that day, Ben was rolling his eyes.

"I could go with a Little Mermaid reference, if you'd prefer." Maddie stuck her thumb in Ryn's direction, whom listened to the whole conversation utterly clueless to what they were talking about.

"We need to show you that sometime, Ryn." Ben was finally able to sit up, albeit Ryn was reluctant to abandon her impromptu pillow. "At least then you'd know what we're talking about."

"Another day." Maddie gleefully rubbed her hands together. "Today, we build a snowman!"

Maddie was determined, and Ben knew better than to deter Maddie when she got determined. If you couldn't beat them, join them, as they say. "Okay fine."

"Yes!" Maddie's enthusiasm grew, if that was possible. "Come on, Ryn, it's easy. You basically just start with a snowball and make it bigger and bigger. I'll show you."

With Maddie doing the actual teaching, Ben relegated himself to manual labor. He was alright with that, it was Maddie's show after all. Ben was happy to allow her to lead it.

Sometime later, the trio had made significant progress. The entire bottom was formed and they were in the middle of adding the middle section. Once it was secured in place, Maddie stopped to look over their work.

"Looking good." Maddie nodded her approval. "Now we just gotta make the head, then we can…"

Maddie was cut off from her words when Ryn put a hand to the back of her neck and pulled her down for a passionate, but gentle kiss.

"Umm… we…" The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but when Ryn pulled away, Maddie was left fumbling for her words.

You'd think after enough time together with Ryn, that the couple would have gotten accustomed to her surprise kisses. No such luck, they still got blindsided every time. Not that Ben or Maddie minded.

Ben especially didn't mind when Ryn pulled him down to her level to gift him the same kiss a few second later. Again, only a couple seconds but was enough to send fireworks through his brain.

"Thank you." Ryn took one hand each from Ben and Maddie. Pressing their gloved hands to her cheeks, she looked them both in the eye. "For today."

"Sweetheart, we got all day." Maddie pulled Ryn into her arms. "And we have all kinds of things to show you."

"I think she'll definitely like snuggling by the fireplace." Ben added, joining in on the embrace.

"You don't have a fireplace, Ben."

"Details, details, Maddie." Ben waved a dismissive hand but his other arm remained firmly around the two women. "But Maddie's right, Ryn. We've got all day, and nowhere to go."

It may have been cold outside, but right there it was warmer than the sun.

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 **This didn't go quite how I envisioned, but I like it anyway. Many more chapters will follow, hopefully. I have a number of ideas from my own imagination, as well as many from fellow readers.**

 **If anyone has anything else they'd like to add/see, I'd love it hear it. If anyone here is part of my Descendants readers, my collection "Package Deal: The Lost Chapters" worked out really well with this method. I'm eager to try it on another triad.**


	2. Shopping

**After asking a number of readers for input, you wouldn't believe how many suggested a trip to the grocery store. Believe it or not, that idea is what sparked the concept for this collection before I even asked for ideas. I decided to do the snow chapter first because I wanted something a lot fluffier after writing "A Mermaid's Nightmare".**

 **Sorry people who like Ben, he isn't really in this one. Maddie takes center stage here.**

 **Enjoy.**

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"Okay, we're here, Ryn." Maddie shifted the car into park and killed the engine.

"This is…" Ryn paused, obviously trying to come up with the correct word. "Supermarket?"

"That's right."

"It's so… big." Ryn gazed out the car window at the building. "Helen said humans hunt here."

"Its actually not that large. You should see some of the supercenters in other towns. They're five times the size of this one. And not exactly, we don't hunt like your people do. Well, not all of us."

Maddie fished around in her pockets for the list she'd written out earlier, but she discovered, to her annoyance, that it was nowhere to be found. Either she forgot it back at the house, or somehow managed to drop it between there and the car.

"You left this on table." Ryn held out the missing black notebook.

"Babe, you are a lifesaver." Taking the item, Maddie leaned over the console and gave Ryn a quick peck on the cheek. "Always remember, when going to the store to bring a list. It helps to keep you organized so you don't miss things."

When Ryn handed the notebook over, Maddie noticed something on her hand. When Maddie tried to look, Ryn jerked it away and tried to conceal it from view.

"Ryn." Maddie already knew what it was, but she needed to see anyway.

Ryn hesitated, but soon gave in and held her hand out for Maddie to take. Peeling Ryn's sleeve up, Maddie's heart sank. The rash had already formed, Ryn's skin cracking and drying out. It covered her wrist and had begun to creep up her arm.

The disfigured skin always a telltale sign they were once more running out of time.

It was no secret among Ben, Maddie, and Ryn that the mermaid's time was limited on land. Sure, she lasted longer with each trip, but the amount of time she could last was still so short, far shorter than any of them would have liked.

This was made all the worse by the fact that neither Ben nor Maddie could be with Ryn in the water. They were completely cut off from the mermaid until she returned. If she ever got into trouble, if she ever needed them, there wasn't a damn thing they could really do.

"I come back." Ryn sensed Maddie's apprehension. "I will always come back."

"I know." Maddie managed a smile for her girlfriend's sake. "Now come on, we'd best get started. Once we get home, we'll put together some of Helen's mix for your arm. Sound good?"

Ryn's only response was a hiss of approval.

It had occurred to Ben that bringing Ryn to the store might be a bad idea with so many people. Maddie had disagreed, Ryn had been to one of Jerry's pool parties and seemed perfectly fine despite the crowded space. She wasn't bothered then, and Maddie doubted she'd be bothered now.

Regardless, it was good for Ryn to be getting some time in public. They couldn't very well keep her cooped up in Ben's house, now could they? Bristol Cove was Ryn's home now, she'd need to get used to trips like this one.

Too bad Ben got dragged into a meetings with his father and brother, but Maddie was confident she could handle a trip to the store alone with Ryn. How hard could it be to keep track of a mermaid girlfriend?

Maddie had to suppress the urge to slap herself after that last thought. That was exactly the kind of thinking that would turn this into a disaster.

Once they had gotten started, Maddie occasionally took a moment to watch Ryn. As was her custom with a fresh environment, the mermaid's eyes scanned over everything and everyone. First for signs of obvious danger, second to simply look at the new place.

Not for the first time, Maddie attempted to look at the world from Ryn's perspective. Between all the people, the near dazzling array of colorful boxes and packages, and the sheer amount of food present, it was easy to see how she might be overwhelmed.

Even before the overfishing problem started, just how plentiful was food in the ocean anyway?

"If it's too much, say so." Maddie put a hand on the small of Ryn's back. "We can always come back another time, maybe later when there's fewer people."

"Colorful." It was the only word Ryn uttered, but Maddie learned a long time ago that Ryn wasn't very vocal, at least in English.

Neither did she emote all that much. Curiosity, anger, sorrow, these expressions were easy to figure out. Everything else, not so much. Still, they were a new… something, whatever this relationship they had was called, and had all the time in the world to figure these things out.

First things first, Maddie needed to figure out where the hell Ryn went.

They were only half an hour in, and Maddie had stopped to check over a few new coffee brands. Her back had been turned for a whole twenty seconds but when she turned back, Ryn was gone.

Maddie forced herself to remain calm. Ryn was far too strong to be attacked and dragged off, not without the entire store hearing the struggle. She must have just wandered off to look at something. Yes, that was exactly it. There was no reason whatsoever to freak out.

The fact that Maddie had abandoned the cart of groceries to frantically search aisles for Ryn was irrelevant.

Maddie felt her calm starting to weaken when a loud crash from nearby finished her off.

"Ryn!" Maddie heard the man on the intercom say something, but she wasn't able to hear it. Worry and fear had left her senses too clouded. All Maddie could think about was that Ryn was in trouble and needed her.

Skidding to a stop at the aisle from which she heard the commotion, Maddie discovered she was completely mistaken. Instead of Ryn, she saw a mother and her two weeping children. From what Maddie could tell, one of the kids had bumped a shelf and knocked a few jars of pickles off to shatter on the floor.

But where on earth was…

"Maddie?"

Maddie all but broke her neck, she wheeled around so fast. There was Ryn, perfectly fine and unharmed.

Good thing Ryn had so much physical strength, because Maddie almost barreled her over when she threw her arms around the mermaid.

"Something wrong?" Ryn returned the embrace, completely unaware of Maddie's previous alarm.

"I'm fine." Maddie almost laughed. Ryn could be so innocent and childlike at times. It wasn't her fault there was so much more to learn about being among humans. "Please, stay close while we're here, alright?"

"Okay." Ryn's head was tilted in that quizzical way that Maddie found so adorable but she had no objections to Maddie's request. "Can I have this?"

Maddie had been so relieved to see Ryn was alright, she had completely missed that Ryn was holding something. It was a fish, that much was obvious, but it wasn't one native to the waters around Bristol Cove. It must have been something the store ordered in from elsewhere.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Maddie and Ben had been trying to get Ryn to try new foods, but Ryn always preferred seafood of any and all kinds. If Ryn wanted to try something new, seafood or no, Maddie was all for it.

It took almost a second too long to figure out that Ryn wasn't asking if they could buy it, she was asking if she could eat it right now.

"Ryn, wait!" Maddie managed to stop Ryn in the nick of time. The mermaid was about half a heartbeat away from taking a bite of the raw fish, plastic and all.

"Poisonous?" Ryn sniffed at the fish.

They'd already had the talk a while back about why some things could be eaten on the surface and some things couldn't. The ocean was no different with toxic flora and fauna, making it was an easy point to get across. However, Ryn may know the difference in the water, she did not on land.

"Uh, no." Not that it mattered, it wasn't the reason Maddie wasn't letting Ryn devour the fish now. "We have to pay for it first. Remember all those people up front in lines?"

Ryn nodded. She still didn't quite get the concept of money and buying things, but she was getting there. Above all, the mermaid was a terrifyingly fast learner.

"That's where we take our stuff to buy. After that it's ours." Maddie led Ryn back to where she'd left their cart. "I tell you what, once Ben gets home, we can sit down for dinner together and you can try this. Sound good?"

Ryn nodded enthusiastically, letting out a quiet hiss of excitement. It was times like this that made Maddie wonder if her girlfriend's DNA didn't include a little snake mixed in somewhere. She sure used that sound to convey a lot of emotions.

Fortunately, the pair had no further incidents. They gathered up the remaining groceries on Maddie's list, even finding almost everything they needed for Helen's recipe. All that remained was to pick up a little clothing for Ryn.

"Why?" Ryn questioned once Maddie told her what they were doing.

"You need some clothes for youself, you can't be borrowing mine all the time." Maddie didn't mind sharing her wardrobe with Ryn. In truth, she probably enjoyed the sight a little too much. Maddie understood now why Ben liked seeing her in his shirts.

"I can't?" There was Ryn's head tilt again.

"People share clothes sometimes with people close to them, or emergencies, but everybody has their own." Maddie's words were hollow. Despite what she said out loud, Maddie was starting to mentally talk herself out of buying Ryn her own outfits, but the mermaid didn't need to know that. "Don't you want your own that nobody but you wears?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"These smell like you." Ryn, never one to beat around the bush, put it bluntly.

"Oh." Maddie's cheeks flushed instantly. She certainly hadn't been expecting that answer.

"Is that bad?"

"Not exactly." Maddie attempted to regain her composure. "Let's compromise. We get you some new clothes now, and I'll let you have some of mine to keep. How about that?"

"Yes." Ryn agreed. "I would like that."

"Good, now here." Maddie handed Ryn the stack of clothes she'd chosen for the mermaid. They were about as generic as generic could get, but they were a good start. "Take them to the rooms over there and you can try them on. If you don't like any, we put them back. And if you can't decide how you look, step out here and show me."

Ryn was heading to the dressing rooms when Maddie realized she forgot to clarify something.

"And make sure you're fully dressed if you come out." While Maddie herself would have liked what she saw, she'd rather Ryn not show off her underwear or nudity to half the store by accident.

It came as no surprise when Ryn decided to model almost every single article of clothing Maddie picked out. She'd done good on guessing Ryn's size, but they were nothing special, some jeans, shirts, shorts, the works. Maddie did have to admit the girl looked great in everything. Then again, her bias was off the charts.

Why did women like shopping so much? Maddie couldn't fathom it. While being with Ryn was never boring, Maddie just didn't see the appeal.

Just when Maddie thought she was done, Ryn came out wearing the last item. It was a dress Maddie had selected on a whim when she saw the color. She felt Ryn needed something that could be worn for more formal occasions, just in case. Like all the others it was bland, a simple two strap blue dress, the loose skirt going down just below Ryn's knees.

Now that Ryn was wearing the thing, Maddie saw how accurate she'd been. It was a perfect match to the mermaid's beautiful cerulean eyes. No wonder Maddie liked the color.

"Do a twirl for me." Maddie swallowed past the lump in her throat, the flush returning three times as strong. Did someone turn the heat up in the store?

Ryn did as requested and spun in place, the skirt swishing about with the movement.

Maddie was staring, she knew that but couldn't help it. "Wow."

"I look bad?" Ryn had worn dresses before, but it had been a while. Maddie sure as hell hadn't been this badly affected back then but here she was, feeling like a lovestruck teenager again.

"No." Maddie snapped out of her trance. "It's great, really."

"Is it pretty?" Ryn was so delighted, Maddie's heart skipped a beat.

"Babe, you look gorgeous." Maddie smiled, a devious thought coming to mind. "Hold still, I have an idea."

Digging out her phone, Maddie snapped a quick picture of Ryn wearing the dress. While Ryn changed back to the clothes she arrived in, Maddie sent the picture over to Ben, meeting be damned. Their boyfriend was no doubt having a lousy day, he could use the pick me up.

To her shock, Maddie's phone beeped with Ben's reply not long after. She wondered if he was done, or literally answering under the table.

"Next time, we're all going." Maddie laughed, reading the words aloud.

All in all, Ryn first trip to the supermarket hadn't gone so bad, other than that one scare earlier. Maybe they could make it a weekly thing. It would serve as a nice excuse to spend time with her mermaid. All the better if they got Ben to join in.

Wow, a grocery shopping trip with her boyfriend and girlfriend was making Maddie excited.

Maddie really was smitten, wasn't she?

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 **I think this collection isn't going over so well. I seem to be getting only part of the readers I did on my other Siren works. But I could easily just be imagining it. Regardless, I have many more chapters planned for this that I hope to write out as long as people keep reading.**


	3. Into the Woods

**This chapter was going to be titled "Gala" and we would have Ryn formally introduced to Ben's parents as his and Maddie's girlfriend. Complete with Ryn being taught how to dance, coupled with some dress up fun, and whatever polymarine fluff I could think up.**

 **Mostly to get this out of my head, I decided to do this one first.**

 **Enjoy.**

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"These are the same." Ryn's hand ran along the rough bark of the tree, fingertips tracing patterns in the wood. "And different."

"There are all kinds of trees all over the world." Ben explained, coming up beside her. "Different plants grow in different regions based on climate, terrain, and other factors."

"Don't let him fool you, Ryn." A smirking Maddie appeared next. "Ben doesn't know the first thing about trees. Far as he's concerned, a tree's a tree."

"Hey." Ben frowned, feigning offense. "We're marine biologists, not botanists. Last I checked, the ocean doesn't have trees. Wait a sec… Ryn?"

"No."

"See, Maddie?" Ben grinned. "From the expert, no reason to study trees."

Maddie rolled her eyes, adjusting the pack hanging from her shoulders. "Come on, we still have a lot of ground to cover before we get to the clearing. No sense in standing around."

Ben spoke no more and motioned for Maddie to once again lead since she knew where to go. There was a trail, but it was overgrown, and Ben didn't want to accidently get them lost in the woods. Maddie would never let him hear the end of it.

It had been quite some time since Ben had come here, Maddie too. She and her father used to come out here all the time when Maddie was younger for father-daughter camping trips. As both grew older, they went less and less until they didn't go at all. Such was life.

Maddie still had many fond memories of the place, though. A lot of which she shared with Ben when she brought him out here back when they first got together. Now, she and Ben were both sharing the experience with their Ryn.

Said mermaid was currently sticking closely to Maddie, the human holding her hand while they walked. Occasionally, she'd pause to tell Ryn about some plant she saw or some insect she recognized. Ryn sucked in all the knowledge like a sponge, always yearning for more no matter how trivial.

Ben followed, but a few steps behind the two females so he could observe them, Ryn especially. Due to the warmer weather, Ryn had dressed in a simple sleeveless top and short shorts combo. The outfit allowing Ben's eyes free reign over much of her exposed skin.

While the mermaid was certainly easy on the eyes, and Ben had permission to ogle all he liked, that wasn't the reason why he was keeping a close eye on Ryn's body. Rather, it was because the very nature of this trip could turn deadly for his girlfriend.

It was Ryn's first time this far from the sea.

As Ryn's body further adapted to land, she became able to go further and further. Not helping matters was her innate curiosity about other places in the human world. Most of which was out of reach for now but this particular camping area was only a two-day drive from Bristol Cove. It was as good a place as any to take her for a little mini vacation and show her more of the world.

As of right now, Ryn was able to remain on land for over a month, and she'd just returned from the ocean a few days before they left town. In theory, Ryn was going to be perfectly alright the couple days they would spend camping out here.

Not that it alleviated a single one of Ben's fears. If Ryn's body began drying out, he didn't know if he'd be able to get her back to the sea in time. Memories of the last time she'd stayed too long, the suffering she had to endure as her body broke down, made Ben shiver every time he remembered it.

Thus far, neither of his girlfriends had caught Ben staring. Probably because they were too distracted by each other to notice.

They didn't exactly ignore Ben, but he was starting to feel a bit like a third wheel. Maddie was spending almost all her time talking to and showing Ryn around the woods while the mermaid listened with rapt attention.

Ben didn't like it, but Ryn and Maddie were having a good time. That, and Ryn's safety, were more important than Ben's feelings.

Speaking of safety…

"You sure you're not carrying too much, Ryn?" Ben had asked the question shortly after they set out, but he couldn't help it.

"Yes." Ryn carried a pack of her own just like Ben and Maddie, but she also carried the bag holding their large three-person tent. It was beyond weird seeing the tiny wisp of a mermaid carrying the large objects at once, but her stamina and strength were far higher than either of the humans.

For crying out loud, Ryn wasn't even out of breath yet!

Hours later, the group finished the trek to their campsite just as the sun started to hang low. The tent was raised in record time while Ben gathered a little firewood. Ryn put the stakes into the ground with a single whack apiece.

With the trio settled and the tent up, they gathered around their small campfire. Night had fallen, but the temperature remained pleasantly warm. They certainly wouldn't be needing it for heat tonight, but it would be a little hard to cook without.

Ben had just gotten the fire going when he saw Ryn reaching out to touch the dancing flames.

"Careful." Ben reached out and gripped Ryn's wrist just before she made contact. "Don't get too close or it'll burn you."

"Like stove?" Ryn turned her gaze from the glow to look at Ben.

"Exactly like the stove. Just easier to see." Maddie added, digging marshmallows out of her pack. "Ben, toss me the graham crackers?"

"Here." Ben leaned to the side so that he wouldn't have to throw the bag over the fire itself.

"Jackpot." Maddie grinned, wooden stick already in hand with two of the white treats stuck on it. "It's not camping without roasted marshmallows or smores."

Ryn was focused on Maddie once again, much to Ben's chagrin. "What is… smores?"

"Delicious marshmallowy and chocolaty goodness, that's what." Maddie pulled the marshmallow from the fire to blow on it. It wasn't to her satisfaction though, so she put it back in. "Give me half a minute here, and I'll have a roasted marshmallow for you to try."

The reception to the roasted marshmallow was… mixed to say the least. They were every bit as good as Ben remembered, but Ryn didn't share that opinion.

As with all things sweet and sugary, Ryn couldn't tell if she liked it or not. Different yes, but good or bad she didn't know. The mermaid was willing to try new foods, but most of the time she still preferred her traditional seafood. Humans and mermaids, both had their individual preferences. Yet another thing that crossed interspecies lines.

The smores had about the same reaction. Maddie had already devoured three of the snacks, Ben two, before Ryn even finished her first. Ben could tell she only ate the thing in an attempt not to offend Maddie.

"It's okay." Maddie shrugged, completely unperturbed that Ryn didn't share her option of the smores. "Nobody likes everything, babe."

Food out of the way, the sun fully gone, and the moon up, the trio got comfortable while Maddie entertained them with campfire stories. Ben had a few he was able to add, but Maddie's were Ryn's favorite, legends and myths Dale had taught his daughter.

Ben couldn't blame her, really. Maddie's tales were so lively and full of mystery and wonder. Ben's were not so mystical, but he liked to think they were at least funny. Unfortunately, Ryn didn't entirely understand humor, so his fell somewhat flat. Maddie at least laughed, even if she'd heard many of them before.

Compared to Maddie's, Ben's stories by comparison were duller than dishwater.

"Maddie." Ryn's voice stopped Maddie mid-sentence. "Wait."

Ben had resigned himself to being left out, again, when he felt Ryn's hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he found the mermaid watching him. Her face was neutral, but Ben knew just because she didn't look like it, didn't mean she wasn't thinking.

"Back." Ryn made a pushing gesture with her hands. When Ben didn't respond, she clarified. "Move back."

Confused, but willing to humor her, Ben scooted back some away from the fire. Once he did, Ryn eased herself down partway into his lap and leaned back against his chest. Before Ben could react, the mermaid took his wrists in her hands and moved his arms to wrap around her.

"Better?" Maddie's lips turned up in a fond smile.

"Yes." Ryn nodded, letting out a soft content sigh. "Continue, please."

They sat like that for some time. Ryn was completely relaxed in Ben's hold, every muscle he could feel was free of tension and at ease. Never once did Ryn move the slightest bit, other than to occasionally run her fingertips along the bare skin of Ben's arms. An act she would perform every few minutes.

Maddie's voice gave out before her repertoire of stories did. By then, it was universally decided among the three it was time for bed. Ben took care of the task of dousing their campfire, while Maddie and Ryn entered the tent.

Good thing they decided for the larger one. It was a tight fit, helped by Ryn's smaller frame, but not that any of them would complain. Ryn craved her mates' touch, even more asleep than awake. The confined space just meant they had to sleep closer.

Being exhausted after speaking almost all day, Maddie was out like a light within seconds. Ben assumed Ryn was too, but he was having difficulty finding sleep himself.

Just when Ben thought he might be drifting off, he felt a gentle touch on his face. Opening his eyes, Ben was met with only darkness. Somehow, through the gloom, Ben could feel Ryn eyeing him.

Ben never got the chance to ask anything before Ryn was sitting up, careful not to disturb Maddie. Moving over to the edge of the tent, she unzipped it and slipped out. A few moments later, Ryn's head poked back in, hand motioning for Ben to follow.

Unsure what was going on, Ben followed after the mermaid. Maddie mumbled some in her sleep, but otherwise remained dead to the world.

Exiting the tent, Ben found Ryn standing beside the remnants of their campfire. It wasn't a full moon, but it was close, the waning celestial body giving him light to see clearly enough.

"Ryn?" Ben stepped closer. A thousand scenarios running through his mind. Her body drying out being among the worst nightmares he could envision. "Everything okay?"

"I am fine." If Ryn said so, Ben had no choice but to take that at face value, but his question wasn't fully answered.

"What's wrong?"

Ryn didn't speak, but she did turn to face Ben, her head bowed unusually low. Slowly walking closer, the mermaid only stopped when her forehead made contact with his chest. She didn't look up, didn't look away, just stood there.

The mermaid was distressed, but Ben couldn't figure out about what. Not for the first time he was left wishing he had a better understanding of mermaid body language and behavior. Seeing as how he didn't, it was time for a more direct approach.

"Ryn, talk to me, please." Ben's arms moved to encircle Ryn. She was still for a moment before lifting her own to return the embrace. More silence followed, but Ben was satisfied with letting Ryn come to him rather than try to chase her.

"I…" Ryn paused. "Am sorry."

"What for?"

"You are unhappy." Ryn's head tilted up so she could look Ben in the eye. "I do not like."

"I'm not upset, why would you think that?" Ben couldn't figure out where Ryn was going with this.

"Maddie and Ryn… too much time together." Ryn struggled through her words, trying to find the proper ones to convey her meaning. "Forget Ben. Not right."

"Ryn…"

"Not… fair."

"It's alright." Ben pulled the mermaid close, his hand massaging soothing circles into her upper back. "I'm not mad. We all mess up sometimes. What's important is owning up to it."

"Ben not… angry?" Ryn watched Ben with muted disbelief.

"Of course not." Ben was fully telling the truth. He may be a little annoyed at being left out but getting ruffled over something so small was immature and pointless. This relationship of theirs was still new, still unknown, but every bit worth the effort, and mistakes were inevitable.

Ben didn't know what to expect after he said that, but it hadn't been for Ryn's hands to reach up and lace her fingers around the back of his neck. That was all the warning he got before she yanked him down for a kiss that literally took his breath away.

"I love you." Once upon a time, Ryn assumed such words were used as common farewells among humans. Their true meaning had been instilled into the mermaid shortly before the man, woman, and mermaid got together.

"I love you, too." Ben smiled once the shock of the kiss wore off. "What do you say we head back to bed? I think we left Maddie all by her lonesome."

"No." Ryn shook her head, not moving from her place holding Ben. "Want time together, no Maddie."

"Sure. But uh…" Ben looked around them. What could they actually do? He could restart their campfire, but Ben didn't have any real stories he could tell Ryn that she might like. Maybe they could just cuddle under the…

Of course!

"Ryn." Ben's smile grew, not knowing why he hadn't thought of this before. "Why don't I tell you about the stars?"

"Stars?"

Ben pointed up. "All the tiny lights above us."

"Yes." Ryn nodded enthusiastically, eager to learn something new.

Ben went over to his backpack and pulled out the extra blanket he'd brought. It was too warm to use at night, and they hadn't bothered for their campfire, but for this purpose, it was perfect.

Motioning Ryn over, Ben laid down on his back with Ryn joining a second later. The mermaid curled into his side, using his chest for a pillow.

"Since the beginning, sailors have used the stars for navigating the ocean…" Ben began.

* * *

Maddie knew something was off when she awoke to an empty tent.

Sitting up and stretching the stiffness from her joints, Maddie felt around the space. Other than where she had been laying, the tent's fabric was cool. Ryn and Ben had been absent for some time.

"Guess they beat me." Maddie pondered to herself.

Climbing out of the tent, Maddie was met with a sun barely risen. Her boyfriend and girlfriend must have woken way ahead of her. Odd, Maddie wasn't that heavy of a sleeper.

Only once outside did Maddie figure out where her missing man and mermaid went to.

The pair lay on Ben's extra blanket, both fast asleep. Ben on his back with an arm around Ryn, and Ryn herself almost on top of him. Her head resting on Ben's chest with an arm and leg draped across him.

While curious what they were doing out here, Maddie was far too busy finding the sight adorable.

"Aww." Taking out her phone, Maddie quickly snapped a picture just in case they woke before she could do so. Examining the image in the screen, Maddie grinned. "Oh yes, we're getting this framed."

Watching the sleeping duo, Maddie's face slowly fell.

Ben was owed one hell of an apology. Maddie had all but ditched him the day before to be with Ryn and that wasn't fair to him. They were all equals in this relationship and she hadn't been keeping up her end of the deal. Maddie would fix that, but apologies first.

Musing over just how to do that, Maddie caught sight of their dead campfire.

Hmm… breakfast might be a good place to start.

* * *

 **Not really sure how I feel about this one. It just seems a little sub-par, but I feel like that all the time. Eh, must just be my imagination screwing with me. Reviews/comments give my works life dear readers.**

 **See you all next time.**


	4. Parents and Dancing

**Had a nightmare coming up with a title for this one. Probably not the best one, but "Gala" just didn't seem appropriate.**

 **After some deliberation, I think I've decided to abandon the one-shot collection and go back to doing solo works like "Aegis" and "Homecoming". I might just be crazy, but for some reason I seem to be getting more comments/reviews out of those than I am on these. Without those, I can't write a thing.**

 **The camping chapter might have just been a crummy piece, so I decided to do at least one more to see where it get me.**

 **Either way, I'm not going anywhere just yet. More works shall still follow, in one form or another.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"You ladies ready?" Ben finished buttoning up his shirt as he stepped into the bathroom where Ryn and Maddie were sitting in front of the mirror.

"Just… about…" Maddie moved her fingers through Ryn's hair, working the strands together. "There. What do you think, Ryn?"

Ryn examined her reflection, turning her head at various angles in an attempt to see the braids Maddie had woven in her hair from any direction she could. Maddie had left her own hair straight for this occasion, but Ryn had requested them.

As always, Maddie hadn't been able to refuse her mermaid.

"I like them." Ryn tilted her head back to look at Maddie directly rather than through the mirror.

"Good." Maddie leaned down and kissed her girlfriend on the forehead. Only then did she look up to regard Ben, giving him the once-over in the process. "Mmm… looking good, Ben. We might need to get you into formal wear more often."

"Yes." Ryn agreed a little too enthusiastically for Ben's liking the moment she looked up at the man. Lovely, now the women were teaming up on him again. Well, two could play that game.

"Pot meet kettle, Mads." It was Ben's turn to take an eyeful of Maddie's dress, Ryn's too for that matter. Ben wasn't the only one. Maddie's choice of outfit had caught the attention of a certain mermaid. "Maybe we should get you into dresses more often."

Maddie's grin twisted into a scowl at having her words rebounded back at her.

"Yes." Ryn repeated, every bit as eager as before, her leer shifting over to Maddie. "Dresses pretty on you."

Ha! Now who was ganging up on who? Ben wanted to say those words aloud but decided against it. He may have the advantage now, but Maddie would spin that right back at him before long. Best not to press his luck.

"We can debate clothes later." Ben knew Maddie was snagged between her irritation at wearing dresses and her desire to please Ryn. Time to bail his girlfriend out. "We should probably get going."

"Good idea." Maddie wasted no time getting up whatsoever. It was almost comical, but Ben stifled his laugh.

Once the trio were piled into the car and on their way, Ben remembered what they were doing. It was some retirement party, for whom Ben couldn't remember. Unlike the last social event, Ben hadn't been guilted by his father into going. Instead, his mother asked him to come.

Ben wouldn't lie, not even in his own head, that he'd grown estranged from his family in recent years. Not intentionally, but it happened regardless. Ever since the troubles of Bristol Cove died down, Ben had taken steps to making amends.

Dividing his time between the rescue center and his role as an environmental consultant for Pownall Seafood had been a great step in that direction, even if it wasn't Ben's original intention. He could have quit and gone right back to his old life before Ryn came along, but that just didn't sit right with him. Family was family, it was high time Ben stopped leaving his out in the cold.

Nobody was more ecstatic than Elaine Pownall to see Ben finally getting along with his father and brother. She'd been trying to at least get Ben to put in an appearance now and again for years. Yet, here was Ben, doing her one better and taking a job in the business.

Naturally, when Elaine asked Ben to join in on the festivities, he agreed. She even asked him to make sure Maddie came along. It would seem the matriarch of the Pownall family not only always remembered Maddie's name now but had grown to accept the sheriff's daughter for her son. Ben was over the moon when he figured that one out. Of course, this left the proverbial elephant in the room unmentioned.

Ryn.

How does one tell their mother that they are currently dating a woman and a mermaid at the same time, and that said mermaid is shared between the man and woman? What was he supposed to do, walk up and say "hey mom, meet my other girlfriend, Ryn"?

Dear lord, was it a mother thing that was making Ben feel like a little boy again?

Maddie at least had things a little easier. She had just the one parent and Dale had little in the way of complaints. Possibly helped by the fact he knew Ryn was a mermaid and that normal relationship logic didn't apply to her. Elaine had no such knowledge.

Ben contemplated canceling at the last second, his mom would be upset but she'd get over it. Maddie managed to not only convince him otherwise, but to also talk him into introducing Ryn to the elder Pownall.

It felt a little foolish, but Ben badly wanted his mother's approval of Ryn. He was making such great progress in bridging the divide between all of them, he'd hate to wreck it all now. Although, if given the choice between his family and his relationship with Ryn and Maddie, Ben had no reservations about choosing the latter. He just hoped that's not what would happen.

"You okay?" They had just parked the car, and Maddie was already catching on to Ben's worries. Judging by the way the hairs on the back of Ben's neck stood, Ryn had too. Maddie had just made the query before their girlfriend could.

Ben chuckled, the sound coming out a lot more apprehensive than he had been hoping. "Yeah, I'm totally fine. Come on, the party has already started."

Absolute lies, but Ryn and Maddie didn't need to know that.

"Ben." Ryn brought a hand to Ben's shoulder from the backseat just as he touched the door handle. She said no more, just the three letters of his name. Yet it was enough to shatter the false confidence Ben was trying, and failing, to project.

"No, I'm not okay." Ben sighed. He should have known better than to try and hide from them. Maddie might be occasionally foolable, but Ryn was too attuned to her mates for Ben to slip past. If Ben wasn't a scientist, dating a mermaid or no, he might suspect her of having some kind of supernatural BS detector.

"Don't worry so much." Maddie patted Ben on the leg. "Everything will be fine."

"It's just…" Ben hesitated. "I want her like you both, you know? It took her forever to get used to you, Maddie."

"I know." Maddie knew better than to say something like 'oh she'll approve of you dating two women'. Not when she knew it wasn't a guarantee. The best she could do was be supportive, and that is exactly what she would be.

"I sing?" Ryn suggested, her chin coming to replace the hand on Ben's shoulder.

"Good idea!" Maddie beamed. "Might help steady your nerves."

"Just don't calm me unconscious." Ben leaned his head into Ryn's, lips raising in the slightest of smiles. "Although… I wouldn't complain about missing the party."

With Ben's blessing, Ryn began her song.

The moment the first note of the song reached Ben's ears, he knew this had been a great idea. The sound washed over his body, bringing with it a wave of peaceful calm. Ben felt his muscles going slack, his heartrate slowing down from racing to a resting beat.

Beside Ben, Maddie was leaning into the mermaid. Her own eyes closed, Maddie reveled in the serenity Ryn's song brought them. She didn't need to be soothed, but that didn't mean she couldn't savor the sensation.

After all, Ben and Maddie were the only humans who Ryn's song had this effect on.

Ryn's lips were close to Ben's ear, and they were still in the tight quarters of the car. She didn't need to sing very loudly, but she kept her voice even lower so as to not accidentally put Ben to sleep. That could easily be done but would defeat the purpose.

Ryn sang for what could have easily been hours to Ben's senses. When she stopped, and Ben noticed the car's clock, he saw it had been less than a minute.

"Feel better?" Ryn questioned.

"Definitely." Ben took a deep breath, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. "No point in just sitting here. Shall we, ladies?"

They must have been quite the sight.

Here was Ben, walking arm in arm with another woman, and Maddie on the opposite side arm in arm with the same person. Oh yes, there were looks, and a lot of hushed whispers. Not that Ben cared, let the rabble talk. They didn't know what they were missing out on.

Not everybody could truthfully claim half the heart of a mermaid.

"You sure you didn't want to walk in the middle?" Maddie teased, her mirth barely contained. "Isn't it every guy's fantasy to come to a party with two beautiful women on his arm?"

"True." Ben agreed, not bothering to deny that one. "But I got better."

"A beautiful woman and a mermaid?"

"Nope." Ben gave Ryn and Maddie a long look. "A sea goddess and an angel."

"Aww…" Maddie threw Ben a fond smile.

"Now if you guys don't mind, I'd rather get this thing with my mom over with." The calm Ben had gained by listening to Ryn's song wouldn't last forever, and he'd rather not freeze up in front of his mother.

"One sec, I need to hit the bathroom real quick." Maddie ducked away before Ben could make a peep.

All Ben could do was watch the direction she went and grumble to himself.

"It will be okay, Ben." Ryn squeezed Ben's hand softly, but firmly.

"We'll just wait here until she gets back." Ben planned out loud. "Then we go find my mom. As long as she doesn't…"

"Ben! There you are!"

There was no way in holy hell Ben's luck could possibly be this bad. Yes, he was hallucinating, and that voice didn't belong to who he thought it was. As soon as he turned around and saw the speaker, he would find his nerves just made it sound like his mother.

Following the sound, Ben found to his horror he was right the first time. There she was two tables over, Elaine Pownall. Ben's mother, and the last person Ben wanted to see right now.

"We run." Ryn proposed, pulling Ben down by the arm to whisper. "People… hide us. Escape."

"I like the way you think." Ben really did, and the idea was all too tempting. "But no."

They could have used the people around them for camouflage, most hadn't taken seats and the crowd was quite thick. They'd easily be able to make a break for it. Ben could have pretended he didn't hear his mom calling for him. The trio could then circle back once Maddie returned.

It seemed silly for Ben to run from Elaine. This was his mother, not some fire breathing dragon. No, Ben would not run and hide, he'd stand with Ryn right alongside him.

Steeling himself for the battle to be, Ben and Ryn forged through the crowd. It took no small amount of willpower to release his mermaid's hand before Elaine saw them holding hands.

"Hey, mom." Ben greeted his mother with a quick kiss on the cheek, as was his custom. "How are you doing?"

"Just fine." Elaine smiled. "I'm so glad you could come, where's Maddie?"

"Bathroom break." So far so good, Ben wasn't feeling the urge to freak out nor was he hyperventilating. Why was he so worried, anyway?

"And who's this?" Elaine asked with genuine curiosity when she realized Ben wasn't alone.

Ah, there was the worry and fear making their screaming comeback.

"Hello, Mrs. Pownall." Ryn shook the older woman's hand, the greeting and gesture having been rehearsed many times beforehand. "I am Ryn."

"Ryn? What a lovely name." Elaine knew something was afoot but couldn't figure out exactly what. "How do you know my son?"

"She's a foreign exchange student from Belgium." Ben answered on Ryn's behalf. "She's been learning English while finishing up her degree here in Bristol Cove by working down at the rescue center."

Every son should hate lying to their mother, and Ben was no exception. Maybe one day she could be clued in to Ryn's identity, but that was not today. No, it was safer for Ryn if Elaine remained in the dark.

"Not that I don't mind seeing Ben's friends, but what brings you to the party?" Elaine was catching on, she knew Ben didn't like these gatherings. Bringing Maddie was one thing, but you don't bring a coworker to a party like this. Not only that, Ben and Ryn were standing awfully close together for simple coworkers.

"I am his… girlfriend." Ryn could be blunt sometimes, but this really wasn't the time for it. Oh well, the damage was done.

"Oh… I'm so sorry things didn't work out with Maddie." There was a time Ben would have accused his mother of being happy to see Maddie gone, but this time she seemed genuinely saddened. "Wait, I thought you said she was in the bathroom?"

"She is." Ben was scrambling, trying to figure out what to say and getting nowhere. He knew he'd screwed up, he should have just chickened out when he had the chance. Now he was caught like a fish on a hook. "Maddie and me are both here with Ryn."

Knowing the jig was up, Ben abandoned all pretenses of subtlety, and moved an arm around Ryn's waist to pull her into his side. Faster than the eye could blink, the mermaid had her own up around him. She must have been resisting the urge to do that this whole time.

"I don't understand." Elaine was understandably baffled.

"What's to understand?" Every bit like the angel Ben had described her as earlier, Maddie arrived delivering salvation. Coming up behind Ryn and Ben, the woman put an arm around both. "We love Ryn, and she loves us. Can't get any simpler."

"But, it's…"

"I think we're done here." Maddie was having none of Elaine's objections, not even allowing the other to speak. "I saw an empty table over there."

"That… didn't go like I hoped." Ben lamented once they were far enough away. Honestly, he wasn't even sure himself what he hoped. Still, he'd take confusion over disappointment and anger any day.

"Sorry if I kinda dragged you away." Maddie apologized. "You just seemed like you could use a rescue."

"No, we absolutely needed the rescue." Ben smiled some. "You were awesome."

"I am, aren't I?" Maddie grinned, finding them a table on the edge of the dance floor. "How are you doing, Ryn?"

"I am fine." Ryn was largely unaffected by meeting Elaine. Ben wondered if mermaids even had some kind of ritual for the same occasion, or if they ever met their mate's parents. He'd have to ask Ryn about it later.

"Wondering what they're doing?" Ben followed Ryn's gaze out to the dance floor. A faster song was being played by the band and the people were moving along to the beat. "They're dancing."

"I see before." Ryn continued watching. "In water."

Ben allowed his imagination to run with the thought. He'd seen mermaid movements underwater, but how do they dance? They had singing, but no music, or did they? Hmm… what do mermaids use for music, another thing to bring up to Ryn later.

"Perfect." Maddie exclaimed when the song ended and a slower one came on. "What do you say, Ryn? Want to learn how humans dance?"

"I would like that."

"I can hold the table while you two have fun." Ben would have plenty of time to take a turn with Ryn later. There would be many songs before the night was out.

"Nope, you had to suffer through your mom. You get to teach her." Maddie had other ideas, all but shoving the pair out onto the floor. "Go."

"Alright, alright." Ben wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Taking Ryn by the hand, he led her out onto the floor. The mermaid eagerly following. "Must be pretty different than what you're used to, huh?"

"Different, yes." Ryn scanned the people all around. "Humans must be lonely."

"We stand like this…" Ben guided Ryn's arms to wrap around his neck, her fingers lacing together upon his skin. His own arms wound their way around her waist, holding the mermaid close. Most of the time, Ben didn't notice the height difference between the two, but right now it was painfully obvious. "Now we just sway back and forth. Lonely?"

"Before, humans dance alone." Ryn took her eyes off the people around them to focus on Ben's. "Now, pairs. No more."

"So?"

"In water, we move together." Ryn explained. "Are humans not lonely?"

"Huh." Ben pondered his girlfriend's words. He knew from Ryn that merpeople were a deeply collectivistic species, more so than humans. It shouldn't be surprising that this applied to their dancing too. "I never thought about that before."

No more words were exchanged. Ben had Ryn's singular focus, and Ryn had Ben's. Each becoming lost in the other's eyes, bodies swaying to the soft melody.

An eternity passed in less than two minutes, the song coming to it's inevitable end.

"It is over?" Ryn hid her face in Ben's chest, but he could hear her disappointment. "I like this… slow dancing."

"Don't worry." Ben couldn't help smiling at the cute sight, his hand coming up subconsciously to stroke her hair. "There's lots more songs still to go. But we better give Maddie a turn before she goes nuts."

They were at the table for a whole second before Maddie was pulling Ryn back to the dance floor with the promise of a lesson in 'faster dancing'.

Ben didn't mind sitting this one out. He had his turn already, and like he said before, there would be many more. Ryn wouldn't mind taking a break on the third so Ben and Maddie could share a dance. He was wondering if it would be a slow or fast one. The order had been random so far.

"There you are." Ted Pownall appeared, sliding into Maddie's vacant seat. "Been looking all over for you."

Of all things Ben expected tonight, it wasn't for his father to show up out of thin air. He knew the man was here, but Ben thought he might have a hair bit more warning. Watching his girlfriends on the dance floor must have been a bigger distraction than he thought.

"Hi, dad." Ben recovered quickly. "Need something?"

"I heard an interesting rumor a little while ago."

"Really now?" Ben had a feeling he knew exactly where this 'rumor' came from. Specifically, from who. "And what's that?"

Ted didn't answer with words, instead motioning with his head out to the dance floor where Maddie was attempting to walk Ryn through the steps of a faster dance. She wasn't having much success from what Ben could see.

Ryn might be the epitome of grace in the water, but on land? Not so much. Poor Maddie was going to have some seriously bruised toes by the time the night ended. Not that she'd ever complain.

"Let me guess, she sent you to give me a lecture about my life choices?" Ben guessed. His defense of Ryn and Maddie already forming within his mind. Ben might have badly wanted his mother's approval, but he was fully prepared to unleash armageddon on his father.

"Somewhat." Ted was at least honest. "But I'm not going to."

"What?"

"You've always had great taste in women." Ted shrugged. "And you're a grown man who can make his own decisions. I just wanted to see you three for myself."

"And?"

"For your sake, I hope this Ryn isn't as headstrong as Maddie, or you're in trouble." Ted laughed, completely unaware of just how right he was. "But between us guys?" Ted leaned in close to make sure only his son would hear him. "I think we can both safely say you've hit the jackpot."

"Uh… thanks, dad." Ben was still trying to process what just happened. His mother didn't like his relationship with Ryn and Maddie, but his father did. When the hell did he stumble into the Twilight Zone?

Oh, right. Likely about the time he started dating a mermaid.

"Enjoy your night." Ted winked, clapping his son on the shoulder before departing.

Ben watched him leave to go mingle with other guests. "Well, that was weird."

"Slow dancing better." Ben was startled from his thoughts when Ryn arrived, throwing her considerable weight into the chair in an annoyed huff.

"It wasn't that bad." Maddie chided the mermaid, but her laughter took most of the bite out of the act. "Quit being dramatic. So, Ben…"

"Yeah?"

"May I have this dance?" Maddie grinned ear to ear, hand extended out to Ben.

Ben arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

"Maybe. But I stole it."

"In that case." Ben took the offered hand. "I accept."

* * *

 **This is probably going to be the last addition to New Experiences unless I feel otherwise. If so, I'll go back to posting stuff as individual works.**

 **I originally expected these chapters to be much shorter, hence the need to put them in a collection. I was a little surprised at the length each came to, so it would be easy to make future ones separate.**


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